Laminar batteries and methods of making the same

ABSTRACT

Laminar electrical cells and batteries, each cell of which comprises a first electrode formed as a porous layer of electrochemically active particles on an electrically conductive, electrochemically inactive substrate coextensive with the particle layer. The electrochemically inactive substrate is adhered around its periphery to the borders of an aperture in an electrically insulating frame. A separator for each cell overlies the active particle layer of the first electrode and has borders extending beyond the borders of the first electrode and within the borders of the insulating frame. A second electrode for each cell comprises a slurry of electrochemically active particles in contact with the other side of the separator. Methods of making the above cells and batteries from elongated webs of electrically insulating ones of the constituent materials of the cells.

This invention relates to electrical cells and batteries, andparticularly to novel laminar electrical cells and batteries and methodsof making the same.

Batteries of laminar cells have long been known in the art and have beenproposed for use in a variety of applications. One early purpose forwhich such batteries were widely used was as high voltage, relativelyhigh impedance "B" batteries for use in vacuum tube circuits such asradios and the like. For the most part, such high voltage batteries wereusually assembled by labor intensive methods which involved thepreparation of one complete cell at a time, these cells being stacked toform batteries of the desired voltage.

During the late 1960's and early 1970's, efforts were made to develop athin flat laminar battery construction for use in the Polaroid SX-70Land Instant Photography System. The manufacture and sale of suchbatteries as film pack components became widespread in 1972. Since suchbatteries were primarily intended as disposable power supplies forexposing and processing a limited number of photographs, extensiveefforts were made to simplify their manufacture. Rather than making onecell at a time, the aim was to assemble multiple cell batteries asunits, preferably in continuous assembly line fashion.

Early examples of approaches along this line are exemplified by U.S.Pat. Nos. 3,708,349 and 3,775,188. The methods there described generallyinvolve the printing of discrete battery components on continuous webs,which webs were cut into elongated strips and laminated together to forma series of interconnected batteries. As a final step, theinterconnected batteries would be cut into individual units.

The basic problem with this approach was that the assembled strips ofbatteries were generally interconnected by conductive components throughwhich undesired currents could flow, and which were subject to mutualshorting when it was attempted to sever the battery strips intoindividual units.

Processes in which the problems inherent in severing batteries linked byconductive strips were avoided, ultimately adopted for the widespreadproduction of multiple cell laminar batteries, are exemplified in U.S.Pat. Nos. 4,019,251 and 4,262,825. These processes made use of printedcomposite webs prepared as contemplated in the earlier processes, butindividual conductive battery components were cut from these webs beforeany attempt was made to assemble them. Battery assembly was carried outusing a pair of nonconductive webs, which were severed after assembly ofthe individual conductive components on one of the webs. These modifiedprocesses were successfully employed to make hundreds of millions ofbatteries and are still in use.

However, the manufacture of laminar batteries as currently practicedinvolves a relatively large number of steps per assembled battery,including the relatively expensive steps of printing anodes and cathodesin registry on opposite sides of a sheet of conductive plastic, and manysteps requiring careful process control, specifically including theprinting steps, and the extrusion of eight layers of gel electrolyte perfour cell battery. The object of this invention is to facilitate themass production of multiple cell laminar batteries, and to reduce thenumber and complexity of the process steps involved.

Briefly, the above and other objects of the invention are attained by anovel laminar battery construction including no printed components andno gel electrolyte, and capable of manufacture by a novel process inwhich, exclusive of external packaging, only four webs need be broughtto the final assembly machine, no printing operations are involved, andonly one extrusion step per cell is required.

In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, one of theelectrodes incorporated in a cell or battery in accordance with theinvention is formed as a continuous coating of an aqueous dispersion ofactive electrode particles in a binder on a conductive plastic sheet,and then dried. Such a coating can be made with a uniformity verydifficult to attain with patch printing techniques. A web of theelectrode laminate so made can be cut into patches required for theconstruction of cells with essentially no loss of material.

Preferably, the electrode patches of conductive plastic coated with anactive electrode layer are made just slightly larger than cooperatingcentral apertures in thin electrically insulating frames ofthermoplastic material, to which the patches are attached by thermallybonding the peripheries of the conductive plastic patches to the framesaround the borders of the apertures in the frames. As opposed to priorart constructions in which the conductive plastic laminae extend beyondthe boundaries of the electrodes and into the outer seal area betweenthe frames, this construction has the advantages of requiring lessconductive plastic per cell, and of ameliorating the problem ofeffecting a good peripheral seal around the battery by reducing the edgethickness of the assembled battery and by reducing the number ofcontiguous surfaces which must be sealed together at one time.

In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, theelectrode laminates just described are used in combination with acellophane separator. The separator is inserted between the active sideof the coated patch and an opposing electrode in the form of a slurry ofactive electrode particles in liquid electrolyte.

The cellophane separator has been found particularly effective in aLeClanche type electrochemical system for high drain rate applications,but has a proneness to curling and wrinkling when wet that must be takeninto account to avoid drastic increases in internal impedance. Aneffective expedient for mitigating the consequences of cellophanewrinkling in constructions in which the separator confronts animmobilized particulate electrode is the use of a layer of gelelectrolyte between the separator and the electrode, as disclosed inU.S. Pat. No. 4,119,770. However, the gel electrolyte layer requires anadditional process step and adds thickness to the battery. Otherconstructions not requiring the use of gel electrolyte that have beenproposed either require prelamination of the separator over the entireface of the immobilized electrode, as in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,125,685 and4,161,815, or no preattachment of the separator to any other batterycomponent during assembly, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,125,684.

The construction proposed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,125,685 minimizes materialrequirements by utilizing a triplex structure in which conductiveplastic, an immobilized electrode particle layer, and a cellophane layerare formed as an integral laminate with coterminous borders. Thisstructure, while efficient, affords opportunities for interelectrodeshorts that are avoided in the construction described in U.S. Pat. No.4,161,815, at the cost of the use of additional conductive plastic. Inaccordance with the latter patent, a layer is laminated over a dry patchelectrode smaller than the separator and printed on a central region ofa conductive plastic substrate. The structure proposed in U.S. Pat. No.4,235,684, in which no preattachment of the separator is permitted, bothrequires a printed patch electrode and the handling of loose individualpieces of cellophane.

In accordance with the invention in a presently preferred embodiment,the separator extends beyond the borders of the conductiveplastic-electrode laminate, and is preattached to the frame indiscontinuous regions beyond the borders of the electrode laminate,preferably by spaced parallel strips of adhesive. It has been found thatwhen the batteries made in this way are sealed under vacuum, noappreciable increases in impedance are encountered, even though thecellophane becomes wrinkled and no gel electrolyte is employed.Moreover, these parallel stripes of adhesive are readily applied to acellophane web prior to battery assembly in the course of batterymanufacture in accordance with the invention, and require only anappropriate degree of web edge position control to effect properregistration of the separator in the cell.

Problems encountered in cutting through conductive webs in assembled orpartially assembled batteries, previously resolved by cutting theconductive components into individual pieces for pick and placeassembly, are avoided in accordance with the invention by theconstruction of three, and preferably four, nonconductive webs that areused to convey conductive components to and through the process ofbattery assembly. The first of these is a monolithic web ofnonconductive, dimensionally stable material coated on one side with anadhesive and perforated in a manner to be described below to facilitateregistration with other webs during assembly, and for other purposes tobe described. This web is used in a manner analogous to conventionalprocesses in that it serves as the main carrier web to convey othercomponents through the battery assembly process.

A second web utilized in the battery assembly process in accordance withthe invention comprises a composite framed electrode/separator web basedon a sheet of nonconductive thermoplastic material perforated with arectangular array of rows and columns of apertures. The apertures may beof any desired shape, but are preferably generally rectangular for mostefficient utilization of other materials. Patches of the electrodelaminate referred to above are laminated over the apertures in thenonconductive web in a continuous cut and place operation during whichindividual pieces of the laminate are only very briefly present as theyare detached from an electrode laminate web and transferred directly tothe nonconductive web while held in place on a vacuum transfer anvilroll. Pieces of an adhesive-striped separator web are then cut andcontinuously transferred to the framed electrode web so formed inanother continuous cut and place operation during which the individualpieces of cellophane are held firmly on a vacuum transfer roll duringtheir transfer from the mother web to the composite web. During batteryassembly, this composite framed electrode/separator web is utilized in amanner that is particularly efficient for the construction of aplurality of batteries in parallel, by cutting strips across thedirection of elongation of the composite web between adjacent rows ofseparators and transferring the strips to previously attached componentstrips on the main carrier web in another cut and place operation duringwhich the strips of composite web are under full control during theirbrief transfer from web to web.

The third web utilized in the practice of the invention is a compositeweb made from the second composite web by laminating spaced parallelstrips of metal to the nonconductive substrate of the second web on theside opposite the electrode laminates, in columns aligned with thedirection of elongation of the second web. This third web is transferredstripwise to the main carrier web in another cut and place operationduring which cuts across the direction of movement of the third websever a plurality of metal strips at each cut at a stage of manufacturebefore any conductive components are superposed in the path of thecutting knife roll.

A fourth web employed in the practice of the invention in its presentlypreferred embodiment comprises a nonconductive dimensionally stablesubstrate on which are laminated a rectangular array of spaced rows andcolumns of electrode terminal blanks, preferably comprising laminates ofmetal and conductive plastic. Index perforations are formed in theseblanks, and they are subsequently pocketed in dies which form centralcavities in the blanks to receive other cell components and therebyreduce the edge thickness of the assembled batteries. Prior topocketing, the insulating web to which the blanks are attached ispreferably creased between columns of the blanks, to allow for movementscaused by dimensional changes in the blanks during processing. Followingthe pocketing operation, the fourth web is laminated to the main carrierweb in a continuous operation during which precise registration of eachpocketed terminal with other components on the main carrier web isattained by synchronizing the movement of the terminals with themovement of the main carrier web, using the indexing perforations formedin the main carrier web in conjunction with the index perforations inthe pocketed terminals.

Following the joining of the main end terminal carrier webs in themanner just described, the webs are preferably severed into strips eachcontaining a plurality of rows and columns of assembled batteries, andthese strips are conveyed to a vacuum sealing unit for a single stagesealing operation. This practice has the advantages over the multiplestrike sealing process employed in the conventional process that fewercontrolled operations are involved, and that mechanical damage thatmight occur during the forceful hot and cold strike sealing operationsconventionally employed is avoided.

The invention will best be understood in the light of the followingdescription, together with the accompanying drawings, of cells andbatteries in accordance with the invention and methods of making thesame.

In the drawings,

FIG. 1 is a schematic three-quarter perspective sketch of a completedbattery in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional schematic elevational view, with verticaldimensions exagerated with respect to horizontal dimensions and on anenlarged scale, of a cross-section through the battery of FIG. 1 as seensubstantially along the lines 2--2 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a schematic plan view comprising a process block and flowdiagram illustrative of the process of making cells and batteries inaccordance with the invention;

FIG. 4 is a schematic three-quarter perspective sketch of a typicalunwind stand useful in the practice of the process illustrated in FIG.3;

FIGS. 5A and 5B, when arranged horizontally side by side with FIG. 5A atthe left, comprise a schematic elevational flow diagram illustrative ofthe process of preparing a framed electrode/separator web in accordancewith the invention and useful in the practice of the process illustratedin FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a diagrammatic elevational cross-sectional sketch, on anenlarged scale, of a portion of a web used in the process of FIGS. 5Aand 5B, as seen substantially along the lines 6--6 in FIG. 5A;

FIG. 7 is a schematic elevational cross-sectional sketch of slitportions of the web of FIGS. 5A and 6 as seen essentially along thelines 7--7 in FIG. 5A;

FIG. 8 is a schematic diagrammatic elevational cross-sectional sketch ofa portion of a perforated web formed as illustrated in FIG. 5A, as seensubstantially along the lines 8--8 in FIG. 5A;

FIG. 9 is a schematic elevational cross-sectional sketch of a compositeweb manufactured in accordance with the process illustrated in FIGS. 5Aand 5B, as seen substantially along the lines 9--9 in FIG. 5A;

FIG. 10 is a schematic elevational plan sketch of a web formed inaccordance with the process illustrated in FIGS. 5A and 5B, showing theweb in various stages of manufacture;

FIG. 11 is a schematic elevational cross-sectional sketch, on anenlarged scale, of a portion of the web during manufacture in accordancewith the process illustrated in FIGS. 5A as seen substantially along thelines 11--11 in FIG. 10;

FIG. 12 is a schematic elevational cross-sectional sketch, on anenlarged scale, showing a portion of the web manufactured in accordancewith the process illustrated in FIGS. 5A and 5B at a later stage ofmanufacture, as seen essentially along the lines 12--12 in FIG. 10;

FIG. 13 is a diagrammatic elevational sketch illustrating a process ofpreparing a composite end terminal/half cell web useful in the processof manufacturing batteries illustrated in FIG. 3;

FIG. 14 is a diagrammatic schematic cross-sectional sketch, on anenlarged scale, illustrating a portion of a primed metal foil web slitin preparation for lamination in the process of FIG. 14, as seensubstantially along the lines 14--14 in FIG. 13;

FIG. 15 is a schematic elevational cross-sectional sketch illustrating aportion of the web prepared in accordance with the process of FIG. 15 asseen substantially along the lines 15--15 in FIG. 13;

FIG. 16 is a schematic elevational sketch illustrating a process forapplying a composite end terminal/half-cell web to a main carrier web atan initial stage of the process illustrated in FIG. 3;

FIG. 17 is a diagrammatic schematic fragmentary plan sketch, on anenlarged scale, of a portion of the carrier web prepared in accordancewith the process of FIG. 16;

FIG. 18 is a fragmentary elevational schematic plan sketch similar toFIG. 17 and illustrating a portion of the web formed in accordance theprocess of FIG. 16 following the addition of pieces of composite endterminal and half-cell subassembly web to the carrier web of FIGS. 16and 17;

FIG. 19 is a fragmentary elevational cross-sectional sketch through aportion of the web of FIG. 18, as seen substantially along the lines19--19 in FIG. 18 and on an enlarged scale;

FIG. 20 is a schematic elevational sketch illustrating the process ofadding typical sections of composite framed electrode/separator web to apartially completed web prepared in accordance with the process of FIG.3, and the subsequent extrusion of cathodes onto the web;

FIG. 21 is a schematic elevational sketch illustrating the process oflaminating end terminals to a terminal carrier web for use in theprocess of FIG. 3;

FIG. 22 is a diagrammatic elevational cross-sectional sketch, on anenlarged scale, illustrating a section of web used in the process ofFIG. 21 as seen essentially along the lines 22--22 in FIG. 21;

FIG. 23 is a schematic elevational diagrammatic cross-sectional view, onan enlarged scale, illustrating a portion of the completed webmanufactured in accordance with the process of 21, as seen essentiallyalong the lines 23--23 in FIG. 21;

FIG. 24 is a fragmentary schematic plan sketch, on an enlarged scale,illustrating a portion of the terminal carrier web prepared inaccordance with the process of FIG. 21;

FIG. 25 is a schematic fragmentary plan sketch, on an enlarged scale,illustrating a portion of the finished end terminal carrier web preparedin accordance with the process illustrated in FIG. 21;

FIG. 26 is a schematic elevational sketch illustrating a process ofadding an end terminal web to a composite web containing batterycomponents prepared in accordance with one stage in the process of FIGS.3, and illustrating the cutting off of strips of completed batteries;

FIG. 27 is a fragmentary cross-sectional elevational sketch, on anenlarged scale, illustrating a web employed in the process of FIG. 26following a creasing operation, as seen essentially along the lines27--27 in FIG. 26;

FIG. 28 is a diagrammatic fragmentary elevational sketch, on an enlargedscale, with parts omitted and parts shown broken away, illustrating agripper roll used in the process of FIG. 26 in more detail; and

FIG. 29 is a diagrammatic elevational sketch, with parts broken away andparts omitted, illustrating the addition of an end terminal web to a webcarrying assembled battery components at one stage in the process ofFIG. 26.

FIG. 1 shows a completed laminar battery which, in accordance with theinvention, may be generally similar in its external appearance to thefamiliar thin flat battery packaged with a Polaroid SX-70 Land filmpack, except that for the same number of cells and a similar electricalcapacity, it will generally be of somewhat smaller major dimensions andsomewhat greater in thickness than the conventional battery. In itsexternal aspects, the battery 1 comprises a card 2 of constructionpaper, cardboard or the like, which may be pigmented on one or bothsides and printed with chosen indicia in any desired manner, that servesas the base of the completed battery and is preferably dimensioned to beaccepted in the desired power supply recepticle for which the battery isintended, such as a film pack, cassette recorder, calculator, camera orthe like.

The card 2 is laminated in selected regions to a battery comprising aset of components 3 to be described in more detail below, over whichthere is adhered a pocketed terminal sheet 4 of conductive materialwhich is preferably formed with a tab 5 wrapped around the othercomponents 3 of the battery to present an active terminal on theopposite side in a manner generally familiar to those skilled in theart.

An overwrap layer 6 is preferably laminated to the card 2 over theactive components of the battery as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2. Theoverlap layer 6 may be of any suitable inert, chemically stablematerial, and serves primarily to prevent mechanical interference withunderlying components during manipulation of the battery. Polyethylenehas been successfully employed for this purpose, although it has atendency to shrink during heat-sealing that may cause other moredimensionally stable materials such as paper, glassine or variouscommercially available paper-foil laminates to be prefered.

While the battery 1 may comprise one or any desired number of cells, forpurposes of convenience and to illustrate a preferred embodiment formany applications, a four cell battery will be described.

While batteries in accordance with the invention, and made by theprocess of the invention to be described, may be of any desiredelectrochemical system, selected in a manner which will be apparent tothose skilled in the art from available systems which utilize componentscompatible with the methods of assembly to be described, for purposes ofillustration and in accordance with an embodiment presently of principleinterest, the battery will be described as being of the LeClanche type,utilizing zinc anodes, manganese dioxide cathodes, and an electrolyte ofammonium chloride and zinc chloride, to which a small amount of mercuricchloride is preferably added.

Referring to FIG. 2, the card 2 is provided with a pair of perforations7 and 8 through which the positive and negative terminals of the batteryare accessible. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art as thedescription proceeds that the battery to be described could be assembledwith an anode adjacent the card 2 and a cathode as the most remoteelectrode, or vice versa, but in accordance with a particularlypreferred embodiment to be described and to take maximum advantage ofthe process of assembly of the invention, the battery will be describedas built up from anode to cathode, such that the negative terminal ofthe battery will be exposed through the aperture 7 on the card 2, andthe positive terminal of the battery exposed through the aperture 8.

Referring to FIG. 2, on the card 2 is mounted an insulating base sheet 9of kraft paper or the like, or most preferably of the material morefully shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,086,400, the lattercomprising a laminate of kraft paper, a thermoplastic liquid-imperviousresin overlying the paper, and an overlayer on the resin of a heatsealing adhesive. The adhesive layer would be on the top side as seen inFIG. 2. The kraft paper side of the insulating sheet 9 may beselectively laminated to the card 2 by means of one or more stripes ofany suitable adhesive, such as poly (ethylene/vinyl acetate), not shown.

As shown in FIG. 2, the insulating sheet 9 is provided with an aperture10 in registry with the aperture 7 in the card 2 to expose what, in thiscase, is the negative terminal of the battery comprising a sheet 11 ofmetal, preferably a sheet of aluminum foil, for example, of 2 mils inthickness.

As will appear, the metal terminal sheet 11 is laminated to a selectedregion surrounding the aperture 10 in the insulating sheet 9, and to theperipheral borders of the sheet 9, but is not necessarily, andpreferably is not, laminated to the insulating sheet in other regions.

The upper side of the metal terminal sheet 11 is preferably coated witha thin layer of conductive priming adhesive, not shown in FIG. 2,typically from 0.1 to 0.8 mils in thickness, and to this conductiveadhesive surface is adhered an insulating frame 12a. The frame 12a isformed with a central aperture 13 which serves to receive otherelectrochemically active components in a manner to be described.

During the lamination of the frame 12a to the metal terminal sheet 11,one or preferably two vent strips 14 are preferably laminated betweenthe frame 12a and the conductive plastic adhesive coated upper surfaceof the metal terminal sheet 11. The vent strips 14 may be made of paperor the like, which may be embedded in a thermoplastic resin prior tolamination into the structure shown, but are preferably simply laminatedinto the thermoplastic matrix comprising the frame 12a and the thinlayer of conductive primer overlying the metal terminal sheet 11. Thesevent strips 14 serve to allow the egress of hydrogen formed during thelife of the battery, and, together with the surrounding thermoplasticmatrix, prevent the loss of appreciable amounts of water or the ingressof oxygen in a manner more fully illustrated and described in U.S. Pat.Nos. 4,105,831; 4,254,191; and 4,256,813, for example.

For convenience in the illustration of the several features of thebattery 1 in a single view, the vent strips 14 are shown in FIG. 2 at 90degrees to their preferred orientation relative to the tab 5. As willappear, in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the invention,the strips 14 and the tab 5 are both aligned in the machine directionduring battery assembly. However, the arrangement shown is equallyefficacious in the completed battery.

An anode electrode structure comprising a sheet 15 of conductive plasticover which is coated a layer 16 of active anode material is locatedprincipally within the aperture 13 formed in the frame 12a and hasexternal borders extending around and over the aperture 13, with theconductive plastic sheet 15 being laminated to the edges of the frame12a around the borders of the aperture 13 and the conductive plasticsheet 15 being laminated to the conductive primer side of the conductivemetal end terminal sheet 11 as shown in FIG. 2.

The conductive plastic sheet 15 may be made of any conventionalmaterial; for example, of Condulon conductive plastic as made and soldby Pervel Industries, Inc. of Plainfield, Conn. The coated anodeparticle layer 16 may be made of an aqueous composition comprising zincpowder and a little carbon black together with a binder, coated on theconductive plastic sheet and dried, in a manner described more fully,for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,119,770 in column 8, lines 40-63. Ratherthan being patch printed on the conductive plastic, the conductive zincparticle layer is preferably continuously coated on a conductive plasticweb and later cut into patches of the kind shown at 15 and 16 in FIG. 2in a manner to be described in more detail below.

A presently preferred zinc anode coating composition, in percent byweight based on the weight of composition, is as follows:

    ______________________________________                                        Component     Weight Percent                                                  ______________________________________                                        Zinc Powder   75.78                                                           H.sub.2 O     19.25                                                           TSPP          0.056                                                           Calgon 261    0.23                                                            Bentone LT    0.14                                                            Polytex 6510  4.16                                                            Carbon Black  0.38                                                                          100.0                                                           ______________________________________                                    

In the above composition, TSPP is tetrasodium pyrophosphate; Calgon 261LVF is a low molecular weight poly (diallyl dimethyl ammonium chloride)as made and sold by Calgon Corporation of Pittsburgh, Pa.; Bentone LT isan organic derivative of hydrous magnesium aluminum silicate, made andsold by National Lead Co., Inc. of N.Y., N.Y.; and Polytex 6510 is anacrylic emulsion resin made and sold by Celanese Cor. of Newark, N.J.The quantities of Polytex 6510 and Calgon 261 LVF are as solids,excluding water. This composition is uniformly coated on the conductiveplastic substrate and dried.

Overlying the anode layer 16 in FIG. 2 is a separator 20 of anyconventional material, but preferably of cellophane approximately 1.3mils in thickness and free of humectants and plasticizers. A fullerdescription of the properties of cellophane as a separator in anelectrochemical system of the type here specifically described by way ofillustration appears in above cited U.S. Pat. No. 4,119,770.

For reasons to be described more fully below, the separator 20 is notfully attached along its periphery to the frame 12a, but is onlyselectively adhered thereto by means of stripes of adhesive 21 on eitherside of the separator along two sides thereof. The adhesive stripes 21may be of any selected adhesive material, and for example, of poly(ethylene/vinyl acetate), a polyamide, or the like.

The components just described, comprising the insulating sheet 9, themetal terminal sheet 11, the frame 12, the conductive plastic layer 15and its coating 16 of active anode particles, and the separator 20, arepreferably formed in a manner to be described in more detail below as apart of a single composite web which acts as an integral subassembly inthe process of manufacturing batteries in accordance with the invention.Overlying the separator 20 in this structure, as seen in FIG. 2, is acathode 22 of any conventional composition, preferably formed in thespecifically preferred embodiment to be described as a slurry ofmanganese dioxide and carbon particles in an aqueous electrolytecontaining zinc chloride, ammonium chloride and a small amount ofmercuric chloride in the initial assembly of the battery. As will beapparent to those skilled in the art, the mercury constituent of themercuric chloride readily amalgamates with the zinc layer 16 afterassembly of the battery and will not be present in the cathode slurryvery long after the assembly of the battery. The cathode slurry 22 maybe of any desired conventional composition, for example, those describedin U.S. Pat. No. 4,119,770. In accordance with a presently preferredembodiment of the invention, a cathode slurry mix of the followingcomposition is preferred:

    ______________________________________                                        Component     Weight Percent                                                  ______________________________________                                        MnO.sub.2     40                                                              Carbon Black  8                                                               ZnCl.sub.2    12.9                                                            NH.sub.4 Cl   1.0                                                             HgCl.sub.2    .5                                                              H.sub.2 O     37.6                                                                          100                                                             ______________________________________                                    

The above composition and its properties are more fully described incopending U.S. application Ser. No. 295,267, filed on Aug. 24, 1981 byPierre E. Nel and Joanne C. Pleskowicz for Laminar Electrical Cells andBatteries and assigned to assignee of this invention now U.S. Pat. No.4,361,633.

If a single cell battery is to be constructed, its next layer would be acomposite end terminal 4, in which, for that purpose, it would not benecessary to provide a pocket for most purposes. However, for a multiplecell battery of the type shown in FIG. 2, the next layer over thecathode 22 would comprise another electrode assembly consisting of anelectrochemically isolating layer of conductive plastic 15 identical tothe lowermost layer 15 described above, on which there is coated on alayer of active anode particles 16 as described previously.

As described above, the second conductive plastic layer 15 is laminatedaround its edges to a second frame 12b identical to the frame 12a forthe lower cell just described. Following assembly of the battery in theform shown in FIG. 2, the layer 15 is in intimate contact with the firstcathode layer 22.

As will appear, the group of components comprising the second frame 12b,with its intercell connector and electrode assembly comprisingconductive plastic layer 15 and overlying active anode layer 16,together with another separator 20 adhered in place to the frame 12b byadhesive stripes 21, may be cut from a single composite web that servesas an integral subassembly in the process of manufacturing batteries inaccordance with the invention and to be described in more detail below.

Over the separator 20 attached to the frame 12b as just described isapplied another cathode layer 22 of the same composition as the firstdescribed above. The assembly just described could be terminated as atwo cell battery by adding the terminal assembly 4 as described above.However, in the specific embodiment shown in FIG. 2, a four cell batteryis made by adding two more subassemblies comprising frames 12c and 12d,each formed integral with a conductive plastic sheet 15 over which aconductive layer 16 of zinc particles is applied, and over which zinclayer a separator 20 is partly adhered to adjacent portions of the frameby means of adhesive stripes 21.

A cathode layer 22 is deposited on top of each of the structures sodescribed. The uppermost cathode is then covered by the terminalstructure 4.

As shown in FIG. 2, the terminal structure 4 comprises a sheet ofconductive plastic 23, of Condulon or the like, for example, of 2 milsin thickness, laminated to a cathode end terminal sheet 24 of metal,preferably of aluminum foil 2 mils in thickness and primed on the sideadjacent the conductive plastic layer 23 with a thin coat of conductiveplastic adhesive employed for the purpose of adhering the conductiveplastic sheet 23 to the metal terminal 24 in a manner known in the artper se.

As mentioned above, the end terminal assembly 4 is preferably formedwith a pocket comprising a central raised portion 25 as shown in FIGS. 1and 2. Preferably, the pocketed terminal assembly 4 comprises a sheet ofglassine paper 30 adhered to the metal terminal sheet 24 except over theportion comprising the tab 5. The glassine sheet 30 serves as aninsulating layer in a manner more fully described in U.S. Pat. No.4,019,251. The glassine sheet serves in the process of the invention tobe described to perform the further function of lubricating the die usedto form the pocket 25, as will be described in more detail below.

While the battery just described in connection with FIGS. 1 and 2 couldbe assembled by any of the techniques known to those skilled in the artfor the assembly of laminar batteries, in accordance with the inventionin its preferred embodiment it is assembled by the process next to bedescribed with reference first to FIG. 3.

As shown in FIG. 3, the process of assembling cells and batteries inaccordance with the invention is carried out with the aid of a machinegenerally comprising a first assembly line organized about and havingparts operatively connected to a supporting frame generally designated31 in which cut and place operations, to be described, are carried outinterspersed with electrode extrusion operations in a manner to bedescribed below. The end products of this first assembly line comprisingcomponents mounted on the frame generally designated 31 are strips ofbatteries interconnected by insulating laminae. These strips aresupplied one at a time to an indexing section to be described, in whichthe individual strips are progressively advanced to a sealer. In thesealer, the batteries are sealed under vacuum with the aid of heat andpressure, and are subsequently indexed to an accumulator to allow aperiod of equilibration following electrochemical assembly during whichthe individual batteries begin to approach equilibrium to a degreepermiting an initial electrical evaluation.

From the accumulator, the battery strips are advanced to a secondassembly line organized about and having parts mounted on a framegenerally designated 32. In the second assembly line, the batteries arefirst separated into individual battery units, then laminated to a pairof webs which form the external packaging components. The batteries arenext tested electrically, and the values of the parameters determinedfor each battery are recorded on the battery in a manner more fullyshown and described in U.S. application Ser. No. 227,477, filed on Jan.22, 1981 by Sheldon A. Buckler, Jeffery B. Burns, Alfredo G. Kniazzehand David J. Sullivan for Method and System for Testing and SortingBatteries and assigned to the assignee of this invention now U.S. Pat.No. 4,363,407.

Finally, the batteries are separated into individual complete batteriessuch as those shown in FIG. 1, and packed into appropriate cartons forretesting, if desired, in the manner described in the above citedapplication Ser. No. 227,477, and ultimately for shipment to theintended customers.

In carrying out the process just generally described, at a number ofstages in the process a web is brought up to the machine andsubsequently joined to other webs. For convenience of the operators, itis generally desirable to have the web supplies located adjacent theassembly machine and at approximately the same level for access byoperators in servicing and maintaining the apparatus. For this purpose,conventional unwind systems are preferably employed for handling each ofthe various webs. Such unwind systems may be of the type shown in FIG.4.

Referring to FIG. 4, in order to facilitate a continuous productionoperation, it is preferred to provide for the mounting of two supplyrolls of the particular web to be handled, one of which can be fedcontinuously to the assembly line until it is nearly exhausted,whereupon it is replaced by the other which is spliced into the web sothat the process can continue without interruption despite the changingof the web supply rolls.

As shown, the unwind system comprises a main frame adapted to be mountedon and suitably secured to the floor of the enclosure in which theprocess takes place, and on which there are rotatably mounted a pair ofsupply arbors 41 and 42.

Assuming by way of illustration that the arbor 41 is currently supplyingweb to the process, a strip of web 43 is taken from a roll generallydesignated 44 disposed on the arbor 41. From the supply roll 44, the web43 is carried over a first pair of idler rolls 45 and 46 which comprisea portion of a conventional edge guiding assembly, which may be ofconventional construction and will not be described in detail, withwhich the path of the web 43 is constrained to the desired path.

From the second edge guide idler 46, the web 43 passes over an idler 47and thence through a splicing assembly generally designated 48, which isinactive when the web 43 is being fed to the assembly machine. Thesplicing assembly 48 includes a pair of cutoff knives operated bymanually actuatable levers 49 and 50. The lever 49, for example, isselectively actuatable to cut off the web 43 when the roll 44 issubstantially exhausted.

While the web 43 is being supplied from the web 44, the web 43 simplypasses through the splicing assembly 48, and thence to a festooning areacomprising, in series, a set of idler rolls 51, 52, 53, 54, 55 and 56.Of these, the rolls 51, 54, 55 and 56 rotate about fixed axes, and therolls 52 and 53 are mounted for rotation on a slide 57 for translationback and forth. Specifically, the idlers 52 and 53 are mounted on aslide 57 guided on bars 58 and 59, the latter being suitably secured tothe frame 40 as indicated at 60 and 61. In a manner that will beapparent to those skilled in the art, the slide 57 is moved to the rightor left in FIG. 4 along the guide rods 58 and 59 in such a manner as tomaintain an equal tension on the web 43. The purpose of this arrangementis to serve as an accumulator during periods in which webs are beingchanged, so that a continuous length of web such as the web 43 can becontinually fed out over the idler 56 at constant speed despiteinterruptions in the supply while the supply rolls are changed in amanner to be described.

From the idler 56, the web 43 passes over an idler 62, and thence arounda 90° steering idler roll 63 arranged at 45° to the path of the movementof the web 43 up to the roll 63, whence the web 43 is turned at 90° toits initial path and thus in the direction of the assembly process inwhich it is to be employed.

The arrangement shown in FIG. 4 is typical of the several unwind standsto be described, and the web 43 may be any of the various webs to bedescribed as brought to an assembly line and turned 90° into alignmentwith the machine direction.

As the roll 44 on the arbor 41 becomes depleted, the operator may placea second roll 65 of the web on the arbor 42, from whence a supply of web66 identical to the web 43 is taken out around a pair of idlers 67 and68 in an edge guide arrangement such as that described above andcomprising the idlers 45 and 46. Over the idler 68, the web 66 passesover across the roll 65 to an idler 69, and thence down through the websplicing arrangement 48 just described. During the web change operation,the web 43 is cut off by the knife actuated by the lever 49, the end ofthe web 43 passing out of the machine is held in the splicing apparatus48 while the end of the web 66 is joined to it, as by a strip of thetape or the like. During this operation, the festooning array comprisingthe moveable idlers 52 and 53 acts to adjust the length of the web sothat it is maintained under constant tension and leaves the apparatus atconstant speed during the time in which no new web is being supplied.Thereafter, following the splicing operation, the web 66 traces the pathformerly followed by the web 43, and the assembly operation is continuedwithout interruption.

Referring again to FIG. 3, the first web brought up into the assemblyoperation in the process of constructing cells and batteries inaccordance with the invention is an elongated sheet 80 comprising a maincarrier web of the insulating sheet material used to make up theinsulating sheets 9 in FIG. 2. This material may be supplied from a rollgenerally designated 81 forming a part of an unwind stand such as thatdescribed above in connection with FIG. 4 and terminating with asteering roll to redirect the path of the web 90° into alignment withthe machine process to be carried out on the bed 31.

Following perforation of the web 80 in a manner to be described below inmore detail in connection with FIG. 15, segments of a composite endterminal and half-cell web 82, supplied from a roll 83, in the samemanner as described for the web 80, and turned 90° into the direction ofthe path of the process, are added in a cut and place operation thatwill be described below in further detail in connection with FIG. 16.The composite end terminal and half cell web 82 comprises the materialfrom which the subassemblies such as that comprising the metal anodeterminal collector sheet 11, vents 14, frame 12a, and the componentsattached to the frame 12a including the conductive plastic sheet 15, itszinc anode coating 16, and the separator 20 adhered thereover in FIG. 2.This web is in turn made from a framed electrode/separator web made aswill next be described in connection with FIGS. 5A and 5B and 6 through12.

The process of making framed electrode/separator web illustrated inFIGS. 5A and 5B is carried out off line as far as the process of FIG. 3is concerned, at an average rate commensurate with the rate of webrequirements by the process of FIG. 3, which will be at a rate ofbatteries per unit time approximately n times the main process rate ofthe process illustrated in FIG. 3, where n is the number of cells ineach battery to be made. Referring first to FIG. 5A, the raw materialsutilized in the process of making the framed elecrode/separator webcomprise a web generally designated 84 consisting of a sheet ofconductive plastic coated with active electrode particles, and a web 85consisting of a sheet of insulating frame material such as polyvinylchloride or a conventional vinyl chloride/vinyl acetate copolymer.

The web 84 may be of any of those conventional materials that will occurto those skilled in the art, selected in dependence upon the particularelectrochemical system involved in the cells or batteries beingconstructed, but for clarity of illustration will be illustrated in theform utilized in a presently practiced embodiment in which, referring toFIG. 6, the web 84 comprises a sheet 86 of Condulon conductive plastic 2mils in thickness, on which there has been previously coated a layer 87of zinc particles together with a little carbon in a binder and of thecomposition referred to above. The web 84 may be made by casting theconductive plastic on a suitable release sheet and drying, followed bycontinuously coating it with an aqueous dispersion of the zinccomposition 87 and drying.

Following its manufacture in the above or any other desired manner, theweb 84 is stored with its release sheet 88 on a supply roll generallydesignated 89 forming a portion of a web unwind, steering, tensioningand redirecting apparatus of the kind described above in connection withFIG. 4. Referring again to FIG. 5A, the release sheet 88 is strippedfrom the web 84 as it is wound off the supply roll 89, and wound onto anauxiliary takeup roll 90 for reuse or scrap disposal.

Following redirection into the path of the machine process illustratedin FIG. 5A, the web 84 is passed through a slitting station generallydesignated 91 in which it is slit into a number of parallel spaced webscorresponding to the number of batteries or cells in parallel that areto be manufactured in the process of FIG. 3. In this context, it may beremarked that the advantages of the invention are most apparent when twoor more cells or batteries are to be manufactured in parallel. However,the number most suited to a particular purpose will be determined in anyparticular application by many considerations other than the obviousfactors of projected annual volume and rate of change of volume,necessary capital investment, web speed versus down time, anticipatedrequirements for changes in product dimensions or materials, expectedduty cycle in terms of the optimum mean number of shifts to be worked,and the like. Thus, while the decision between providing capacity forthe manufacture of two or six units at a time might easily be reached onthe basis of such fundamental parameters, particularly in the lattercase an informed choice to set up two lines each making three at a time,three lines making two at a time, or one line making six at a time wouldcall upon both a detailed, contemporaneous analysis and sound judgmentlooking to good fortune for vindication.

For clarity of illustration throughout most of the description whichfollows, it will be assumed that four cells or batteries are to bemanufactured in parallel, and accordingly, as illustrated in FIG. 7, theweb 84 is split and spread into four lanes 84a, 84b, 84c, and 84d. Asillustrated in FIG. 5A, this may be accomplished by means of a kniferoll 92, of stainless steel or the like, driven at an appropriate speedagainst a pair of counter-rotating rubber rolls 93 and 94. Asillustrated, the web 84 passes around the rubber idler 93, over theknife roll 92 which slits the web 84 into the four lanes as justdescribed, and around the backup roll 94. During this process, theconductive plastic side 86 of the web 84 is to the left as illustratedin FIG. 5A, such that the knife roll 92 first engages the conductiveplastic side of the web.

The vinyl web 85 may be taken from a supply roll 95 forming a part of anunwind stand including tensioning and edge control and web redirectingapparatus of the kind described in connection with FIG. 4. The web 85may be of any suitable insulating thermoplastic material, but, forexample, may be of a conventional vinyl chloride/vinyl acetate copolymerapproximately 5 mils in thickness. This web is used to make theindividual frames such as 12a, 12b, 12c, and 12d, described above inconnection with FIG. 2. For this purpose, as shown in FIG. 5A, the web85 is passed through a die roll 96 operating against a vacuum anvil roll97 with which rectangular pieces 98 of the web are punched out to formthe apertures 13 ultimately provided in the frames such as 12a and 12bin FIG. 2. As illustrated in FIG. 8, the apertures 13 are providedacross the web in spaced patterns arranged to receive patches of theelectrode coated plastic to be made from the coated conductive plasticstrips such as 84a, 84b, 84c and 84d shown in FIG. 7 following acut-and-place operation taking place in an electrode patch registrationsection 99 next to be described.

The strips 84a through 84d shown in FIG. 7 leave the rubber roll 94 inFIG. 5A and pass over guide rolls schematically indicated at 100 to aset of infeed nip rolls comprising a driven steel roll 101 and adjacentcompliant rubber rolls 102 and 103. The steel roll 101 is driven at arate slightly less than the rate at which the web 85 is advanced throughthe die roll 96 and vacuum transfer roll 97.

As illustrated, the strips 84a through 84d pass around the rubber infeedroll 102, thence clockwise around the steel drive roll 101 and betweenthe roll 101 and the rubber nip roll 103, to emerge downwardly as shownin FIG. 5A with the conductive plastic side at the left as seen in FIG.5A. Pieces of the strips 84a through 84d are then cut from the stripsand transferred to the perforated web 85 in a cut and place operation.

For this purpose, the strips 84a through 84d pass between a steel dieroll 104, rotating clockwise as seen in FIG. 5A, and a steel vacuumtransfer roll 106. During this operation, individual pieces of thestrips 84a through 84d are cut into composite electrodes 15 and 16coresponding to those elements shown in FIG. 2.

From the vacuum transfer roll 106, the pieces are transferred to theperforated vinyl web 85 which is carried by a second vacuum transferroll 105. As indicated in FIG. 5A, the perforated web 85 emerges fromthe die and transfer rolls 96 and 97, passes over a guiding idler roll108, and thence to the vacuum transfer roll 107, which is rotatingclockwise as seen in FIG. 5A, where it is held as the individual piecesof the webs 84a through 84d are transferred to it.

The assembly thus provided passes between the transfer roll 107 and aheated steel tacker roll 109 that effects a temporary lamination of theconductive plastic pieces 15 to portions of the vinyl web 85 surroundingthe apertures 13 which have been made therein by the rolls 96 and 97. Across-section of the web at this stage is shown in FIG. 9, and infurther detail in FIGS. 10 and 11.

Referring to FIG. 10, a progression of steps during the process justdescribed is illustrated in which the vinyl web 85 is shown in the leftsection as it enters the vacuum transfer roll 107, with the apertures 13in a row across it to correspond to four cell locations. The dashedlines 110 and 111 in FIG. 10 illustrate lines where the web willsubsequently be cut, and the section between the dotted lines 110 and111 illustrates the appearance of the web 85 following the addition ofthe patches 15 and 16 cut from the web strips 84a through 84d. FIG. 11shows an enlarged cross section through the web at this stage in moredetail.

Returning to FIG. 5A, from the vacuum transfer roll 107 and tacker roll109, the web 85 with its attached pieces 15 and 16 passes over a guidingidler roll 112 to an electrode patch lamination station 113 wherelamination of the conductive plastic pieces 15 to the web 85 iscompleted by passage through a series of heated steel rolls 114, 115 and116 operating against white rubber backup rolls 117, 118, and 119respectively to heat the conductive plastic pieces 15 and the adjacentweb 85 to suitable temperatures to effect a mutual lamination underpressure.

From the lamination station 113, the web passes through a separatorcutout and registration station 120, shown in FIG. 5B, in which theindividual separators 20 are attached over the patches comprising theconductive plastic pieces 15 coated with electrode particles 16.Referring to FIG. 5B, the separator pieces 20 are made from a web 121 ofsuitable separator material on which parallel stripes of adhesive havebeen coated.

As a specific example, the web 121 may comprise PUDO cellophane 1.34mils in thickness on which stripes of ethylene vinyl acetate adhesivearranged in parallel rows corresponding to the adhesive strips 21 havebeen printed, with the adhesive side up as seen in FIG. 5B as the web121 emerges from a striped separator web unwind, steering and tensioningstation 122. The station 122 may be of the kind described above inconnection with FIG. 4.

As illustrated in pertinent part, the web 121 is taken from a selectedsupply roll 123 and passes, with the adhesive side up as seen in FIG.5B, through a set of infeed nip rolls comprising a driven steel roll 124working against counter-rotating rubber rolls 125 and 126. As shown, theweb 121 passes over the roll 125, which rotates counter-clockwise, overthe steel drive roll 124 operating clockwise, and thence between theroll 124 and the counter-clockwise rotating roll 126 over a path leadingto the separator cutout and registration station 120.

The striped cellophane web 121 passes around a guide roller 135,adhesive side up, and thence through a clockwise rotating steel die roll136 operating against a counter rotating vacuum transfer roll 137 whereindividual separator pieces 20 are cut out as illustrated in FIGS. 10and 12. The pieces 20 thus cut out are carried on the transfer anvil137, and the residual cellophane web matrix 121a from which the pieceswere cut passes out over a guide roll 138 and through a pair of drivennip rolls 139 and 140 to scrap disposal.

The web 85, carrying attached pieces of conductive plastic 15 coatedwith electrode particles 16, passes between the vacuum transfer anvilroll 137 and a rubber backup roll 141 and there receives the pieces ofseparator 20 cut out and with the adhesive side down against the web 85.The composite web thus prepared then advances through a separatorlamination station 142 where it passes between hot steel laminatingrolls 143 and 144 operating against rubber backup rolls 145 and 146,respectively, whereby the cellophane pieces 20 are adhered to the web 85by means of the heat and pressure activated adhesive strips 21 to assumethe form shown in FIGS. 10 and 12.

In the lamination station 142, the composite web comprising theperforated vinyl sheet 85 with its patches of conductive plastic 15coated with electrode particles 16 and overlaid with separator patches20, now in the form of a completed composite web 130, passes into aframed electrode/separator web tensioning, steering and windup station147, in which the web 130 passes over a pair of tensioning rolls 148 and149 which may be relatively adjusted in the position of their rotationalaxes to appropriately determine the tension on the rolls, and thencethrough a set of outfeed nip rolls comprising a rubber roll 150, a steeldrive roll 151, and a rubber idler 152, from the last of which the web130 emerges and is rolled up on a supply roll 153.

The manufacture of the composite end terminal/half-cell web 82 utilizedin the process of FIG. 3, from the framed electrode/separator web 130manufactured as just described, will next be described in connectionwith FIGS. 13-15. Referring first to FIG. 13, the framedelectrode/separator web 130 is taken from a supply roll 153 in anunwind, tensioning and steering station 154 which may be of the typedescribed above in connection with FIG. 4. The web 130 leaves the supplyroll 153 with the vinyl side up as seen in FIG. 13, and thence passesover a pair of idlers 155 and 156 to a laminator 157.

A series of strips of primed metal foil are supplied to a laminator 157from a supply system beginning with a metal foil unwind, tensioning andsteering station 158, which may be generally of the type described abovein FIG. 4. There, a supply of primed metal foil 159 is taken from asupply roll 160. The web 159 may comprise a sheet of aluminum foilapproximately 2 mils in thickness, coated on the upper side as seen inthe station 158 in FIG. 13 with a thin layer of conductive plasticprimer which functions to adhere other components to the metal foilsubstrate.

In addition to the other apparatus described above in more detail inconnection with FIG. 4, the web 159 passes through a pair of driven niprolls 161 and 162, and thence over idlers 163 and 164 to a slittergenerally designated 165 into which the web 159 is slit into fourparallel strips 159a, 159b, 159c, and 159d, as illustrated in FIG. 14.

As illustrated in FIG. 14, the metal side 166 of the metal strips suchas 159d is on the bottom as the web 159 passes into the slitter roll,and the conductive plastic adhesive side 157 is on top. The slitter 165comprises a steel slitter knife roll 168 operating against a rubberbacking roll 169.

Strips 159a through 159d emerging from the slitter 165 pass over guiderolls 170, 171 and 172 and thence downward to the laminator 157. Stripsof vent material 14 are introduced between the strips of primed metal159a through 159b and the vinyl side of the web 130 in the laminator157.

There are supplied to the laminator 157 two strips 14 for each row ofcells or batteries to be manufactured in parallel in the process of FIG.3. For this purpose, the supply of vent strips 14 is provided by a ventstrip unwind and guidance system 73, whence the strips 14 are taken fromsuitable supply reels 174, one reel for each strip to be introduced intothe machine. For example, in the process illustrated in which four rowsof cells are manufactured in parallel, there would be eight supply reels174 to provide eight strips 14 spaced in a parallel array across the web130 in position to be laminated with the strips 159a through 159b ofprimed aluminum. As suggested in FIG. 13, the reels 174 may be displacedin a vertical arrangement as well as in a parallel array normal to theplane of FIG. 13 depending on the desired location of the strips 14 inthe laminate, to facilitate access by maintenance personnel.

The laminator 157 comprises a clockwise rotating heated steel laminatingroll 175 operating against the webs being laminated in cooperation witha rubber backup roll 176. Heat supplied in the laminator 157 issufficient to weld the primer side 167 of the web strips 159a through159d both to the vinyl web portions 85 of the web 130 and to theintermediate conductive plastic patches 15 exposed through the apertures13 in the web 85, as more clearly shown in FIG. 19. A more schematicversion of the web 82 as it emerges from the laminator 157 as shown inFIG. 15, illustrating that the metal strips 166 are on top as seen inFIG. 13 as the composite web emerges from the laminator 157.

From the laminator 157, the web 82 passes over a chill roll 177 in achill station 178 wherein the heated webs are cooled to dimensionalstability, facilitating handling. The chill roll 177, which may becooled with ice water or the like, is provided with an elongated contactwith the aluminum side of the web 82 by means of an idler 179 thatinsures a substantial wrap of the web 82 around the chill roll 177; forexample, about 220°.

From the idler 179, the cooled web 82 passes over an idler 180 and aguide roll 181 to a composite end terminal/half-cell web windup,tensioning and steering system 182, in which the web 82 passes overtension rolls 183 and 184 and thence through driven outfeed nip rolls185 and 186 to be wound up on a takeup reel 83 which may serve as thesupply roll in the process of FIG. 3 described above.

The process described briefly above in connection with FIG. 3, in whichstrips of the composite web 82 prepared as described above are laminatedto the main carrier web 80, will next be described in more detail withreference to FIGS. 16 through 19.

Referring first to FIG. 16, the carrier web 80 is taken from an unwind,tensioning and steering arrangement, such as that described above inconnection with FIG. 4, terminating in a 90° steering roll 195. The roll195 corresponds in function to the roll 63 in FIG. 4, is disposed at 45°to the entering and leaving directions of the web 80, and serves to turnthe web 90° into the machine direction relative to the path in FIG. 3.

Referring again to FIG. 16, the web 80 leaves the roll 195 and passesover an idler 196 operating in conjuction with an adjustable brakingroll 197 to provide a desired tension to the web, or to stop the web attimes desired. From the roll 196, the web 80 passes over an idler 198,and thence around a pair of edge guiding rolls 199 and 200. The rolls199 and 200 operate in conjuction with conventional edge sensing andsteering apparatus, not shown, to maintain the web 80 in a desired pathin directions perpendicular to FIG. 16.

From the roll 200, the web 80 passes through a pair of driven infeed niprolls 201 and 202, and thence around an idler 203, a dancer roll 204 ofconventional design, and a guide roll 205 into the nip of a punch anddie set comprising a punch roll 206 rotating counter-clockwise as seenin FIG. 16 and cooperating with a counter-rotating vacuum transfer anvilroll 207 to punch out and dispose of pieces schematically indicated at208 from the web 80 in a desired pattern which will be more apparent inFIG. 17.

Referring to FIG. 17, a typical portion of the web 80 is showncomprising one side which may be symetrical with an opposite side, notshown, with the web 80 shown running in the direction of the arrow 209corresponding to the machine direction in FIG. 3. The arrow 209 does notappear on the final product, or on the web 80, but is merely includedfor reference purposes.

As illustrated for the upper edge in FIG. 17, both edges of the web 80are provided with partial perforations 210 in the form of U-shaped tabswhich can be hinged away in response to the insertion of guide sprocketsto position the web accurately, and to control its rate of advance, inits path through the apparatus to be described. In accordance withconventional practice, the partial perforations 210 are preferred tocomplete circles punched out of the web 80 to avoid the problem ofdisposing of the scrap produced by so punching out complete pieces.

Complete pieces are punched out of the web 80 to form apertures 10, hereshown, for example, as of circular shape, which serve to expose batteryterminals in the manner described above in connection with FIG. 2. Alsopunched out of the web 80 are rectangular apertures 211 which areappropriately spaced to receive the electrode tabs 5 described above inconnection with FIG. 2, when the tabs 5 are folded around the batterythrough the apertures 211 after assembly and sealing in a manner to bedescribed.

Referring again to FIG. 16, the perforated web 80 emerges from the dieroll 206 and vacuum transfer anvil roll 207 and passes around an idler209 operating against a compliant backup roll 210, and thence around afirst sprocket roll 211 provided with sprockets schematically indicatedat 212 which engage recesses provided by folding back sequential tabs210 in the edges of the webs 80 as illustrated in FIG. 17 so that theweb 80 is controlled in its position relative to other components to bedescribed. The web 80 then passes over another sprocket roll 213, whichis also provided with sprockets such as schematically indicated at 214to engage the edge perforations in the web 80. The sprocket rolls 211and 213 are controlled and synchronized with the other apparatusemployed in the process to maintain the web 80 at constant speedthroughout the processes to be described in connection with the batteryassembly portion of FIG. 3. From these rolls, synchronization ofauxiliary apparatus controlling the flow of additional web segments canbe maintained.

The composite web 82, prepared as described above, is brought from anunwind station such as that described in connection with FIG. 4,terminating in a steering roll 215 corresponding in function to the roll63 in FIG. 4 and arranged at 45° to the entering and exit paths of theweb 82 so that the web 82 emerges running parallel to the machinedirection but at first opposite to the machine direction, as indicatedin FIG. 16, with the aluminum strips on the side that is uppermost asseen where the web 82 emerges from the roll 215 in FIG. 16.

From the roll 215, the web 82 passes through an idler roll 216associated with a braking roll 217 serving to provide a desired tensionin the web, or to stop the web when desired. From the rolls 216 and 217,the web 82 passes around an idler 218, thence around another idler 219and a pair of edge guide idler rolls 220 and 221. The rolls 220 and 221are associated with conventional edge sensing and control apparatuswhich serve to control the position of the web 82 in directionsperpendicular to the plane of FIG. 16.

From the roll 221, the web 82 passes between a pair of oppositely driveninfeed nip rolls 222 and 223, and thence around an idler 224 whichguides the web 82 into the path between a knife roll 225 and a vacuumtransfer anvil roll 226, between which strips of the web 82 cut off indirections perpendicular to the direction of the web 82.

The vacuum transfer anvil roll 226 carries the pieces of web 82 so cutoff into registry with the web 80, which passes between the vacuumtransfer anvil roll 226 and compliant rubber backup roll 227 such thatthe individual strips such as 82a, 82b and 82c are transferred to theweb 80 in the appropriate registry in the manner shown in FIG. 18.

Referring to FIGS. 17 and 18, it will be apparent that in each stripsuch as 82a cut from the roll 82, the left hand edge of the vinyl web 85will be in registry with the right hand edge of the corresponding row ofrectangular apertures 211 with the circular apertures 10 beneath thevinyl sheet 85. FIG. 19 shows further details of this construction,illustrating that the carrier web 80 comprises base layers 228 of kraftpaper overcoated with a thermoplastic resin as described above, and anupper adhesive layer 229 which is in contact with the metal terminalpieces 11 cut from the strips 159a through 159d on the web 82 by theknife roll 225 and each corresponding in function to the similarlydesignated terminal sheet 11 in FIG. 2, and forming a portion of the websegments such as 82a cut from the web 82 as described above.

Referring again to FIG. 16, from the cut and place operation justdescribed, the web 80 carrying the strips cut from the web 82 as justdescribed is passed through a contact hole laminator comprising a heatedsteel roll 230 operating against selected portions of the web andagainst a cooperating rubber backup roll 231 to laminate the metalterminal pieces 11 to the adhesive 229 on the carrier web 80 (FIG. 19)selectively, only in the regions within the dotted lines 232 (asillustrated in FIG. 17) immediately surrounding the terminal accessports 10 in the web 80. This selective lamination provides all of theadhesion that is actually needed without subjecting the web constituentsto the unnecessary heat and pressure that would be required for a fulllamination over the surfaces of the metal terminal pieces 11.

Referring again to FIG. 16, as the next step in the operation, slurrycathodes 22 are extruded over the separators 20 by means of extrudersgenerally designated 233, with which a row of four cathode slurrypatches are deposited across each of the strips such as 82a in FIG. 18,each such cathode slurry patch being deposited in registry with theanode patch such as 16 underlying each separator 20 and being depositedwithin the confines of the separators 20 as best shown in FIG. 2.

Referring again to FIG. 3, in which the location of the extruders 233following the cut and place operation just described is also shown, ifone cell batteries were being made, the process would jump to the stageto which the end cathode terminal is added in a manner to be described.However, assuming the manufacture of multiple cell batteries, from theextruders 233, the web 80 carrying its components added as previouslydescribed is next carried through a series of stations, one for eachcell to be added to the batteries made during the process, in each stageof which strips of framed electrode/separator web 130, manufactured asdescribed above, are added to the web 80 in a cut and place operation tobe described below, and are followed by extruders 234 which againdeposit a set of cathodes in each appropriate location across the web ina manner to be described. This cut and place operation in which stripsof the web 130 are added, followed by the extrusion step, will next bedescribed in more detail with reference to FIG. 20.

Referring to FIG. 20, the composite web 130 is brought in over asteering roll 235 arranged at 45° to the entering and leaving directionsof the web 130 and forming a part of the unwind, tension and steeringapparatus described above in connection with FIG. 4. The web 130 isvinyl side up as it emerges over the roll 235 in FIG. 20, and passesnext through a braking roll 236 acting against a compliant backup roll237 and thence over a pair of idlers 238 and 239 to a pair of edge guiderolls 240 and 241. The rolls 240 and 241 are associated with edgeposition detection apparatus of the conventional variety, not shown,which secures the position of the web 130 in directions normal to theplane of FIG. 20.

After passing over the roll 241, the web 130 passes through a pair ofcounter-rotating infeed nip rolls 242 and 243, and thence over a guidingidler 244 into the nip between a clockwise rotating steel knife roll 245acting against a vacuum transfer anvil roll 246, cutting off strips ofthe web 130 and accelerating the strips to the speed of the incoming web80 with its attached composite web strips 82 on which cathode deposits22 have been deposited as previously described.

The web 80, carrying the strips of composite web 82 with deposits 22 ofcathode slurry thereon, is brought into the cut and place apparatusthrough a phase control station comprising a endless timing belt 248carrying sprocket pins 249 which engage the perforations 210 in theedges of the web 80 (FIG. 17). The timing belt 248 is driven by a pairof speed controlled pulleys 250 and 251 to maintain a constant desiredspeed of the web 80.

From the timing belt 248, the web 80 and its associated components passinto the nip between a vacuum transfer anvil 246 and a counter-rotatingbackup roll 247 of rubber or the like, in which strips of the web 130are transferred onto the cathodes uppermost on the web 80 with theconductive plastic strips 15 forming a part of the web 130 coming intocontact with the individual cathode patches 22 on the web strips 82. Forthis purpose, as the vacuum transfer anvil 246 rotates into contact withthe web 80, with the aid of suitable valving within the roll 246, thevacuum may be broken and positive pressure so that the strips cut fromthe web 130 are forced into position on the corresponding cathodepatches. It has been found that no additional tamping stages arerequired following this operation, as the wet slurry cathode patches 22provide sufficient adhesion to the conductive plastic sheets 15 so thatthe structure will be maintained in registry up to the final sealingstation, in which the structure is fixed in place by sealing theperimeters of the frames 12.

Each of the strips of the web 130 transferred to the components on theweb 80 in the process just described have the outward appearance shownon the strip at the right of the dotted line 111 in FIG. 10. The nextoccuring operation, comprising the extrusion of cathode patches 22 onthe separators 20 on each such strip by the extruders 234, involves thedeposition of a cathode patch within the confines of each separator 20as seen in the strip to the right of the dotted line 111 in FIG. 10, inregistry with the apertures 13 in the vinyl strip 85, and in generalregistry with the zinc patch 16 underlying the separator 20.

Following the operation culminating with the application of additionalcathode patches 22 by the extruders 234, the steps illustrated in FIG.20 may be repeated any desired number of times in dependence on thetotal number of cells to be included in the batteries beingmanufactured. As an example, in the manufacture of four-cell batteriesthere would be three stages such as illustrated in FIG. 20. The nextfollowing operation comprises the addition of end terminals in a mannernext to be described in connection with FIGS. 21 through 26.

The first operation carried out in the addition of end terminals is thepreparation of an end terminal web, which may take place off line as faras the process illustrated in FIG. 3 is concerned, and which isillustrated in FIGS. 21, 22, and 23.

Referring first to FIG. 21, a terminal carrier web 260 is supplied froma suitable roll 261 in a terminal carrier web unwind, tension and edgecontrol station 262 which may be of the type described above inconnection with FIG. 4. The terminal carrier web 260 may be any suitabledimensionally stable, thermally insensitive and electrochemically inertmaterial, but it is preferably of glassine paper of approximately 1-3mils in thickness on which there is overcoated a suitable adhesive suchas poly(etheylene/vinyl acetate), which would be on the upper side asthe web 260 leaves the roll 261 as shown in FIG. 21.

From the unwind station 262, the web 260 passes through a set of infeednip rolls 263, 264, and 265. The roll 264 is of steel, and is driven ata constant speed. The rolls 263 and 265 are of compliant rubber, androtate oppositely to the direction of the driven roll 264.

From the roll 265, the web 260 passes over a guide idler 266, and thenceinto the nip between a punch roll 267 and a cooperating vacuum transferanvil 268 wherein pieces 269 are cut from the web 260 and brought by thevacuum transfer anvil down into position for transmission to wastedisposal. The pieces 269 cut from the web 260 leave apertures 270 in theweb 260 as shown in detail in FIG. 24. These apertures are tapered atthe trailing edges, the machine direction of movement of the web 260being indicated by the arrow 271 in FIG. 24. These apertures allow thepassage of the tabs 5 through the web 260 when the tabs are folded overin the final stages of battery manufacture.

Referring again to FIG. 21, the second material supplied to the endterminal web manufacturing process comprises a web 274. As shown in FIG.22, the web 274 may comprise a sheet of aluminum foil 275, for exampleof 2 mils in thickness, covered with a layer 276 of conductive plastic,such as Condulon 2 mils in thickness and laminated to the aluminum sheet275 by means of any conventional conductive priming adhesive layer, notshown.

Referring to FIG. 21, the aluminum web 274 as taken from a suitablesupply roll 277 located in an end terminal web unwind, tensioning andedge control station 278 which may be of the type described above inconnection with FIG. 4. From the supply roll 277, the web passes throughintermediate stages described in connection with FIG. 4 to a guide idler257, which directs the web 274 into the nip between a steel knife roll258, rotating clockwise as seen in FIG. 21, and operating against avacuum transfer roll 279 to cut pieces such as 274a (shown in FIG. 25)from the web 274 and transfer them down into contact with the web 260.The web 260 is brought into the nip between the vacuum transfer roll 279and a compliant rubber back up roll 280 to receive the patches 274a withthe aluminum side of the patches 274a in engagement with the adhesiveside of the glassine web 260.

The pieces 274a, as shown in FIG. 25, are somewhat distorted from theirfinal form in plan to accomodate for distortions which will take placein the subsequent formation of the pockets 25 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. Asillustrated in FIG. 25, each of the blanks 274 is arranged on the webwith the tab 5 extending over the aperture 220 with corners resting onthe web 260 just beyond the triangular regions of the holes 270 andtemporarily adhered thereto by the adhesive on the face of the glassineweb 260 to provide temporary fixing of the tabs 5 until they will laterbe folded through the apertures 270 in the final stages of batterymanufacture. As a practical matter, adhesion of the tabs 5 to the web atthis stage has been found unnecessary, and may be omitted if so desired.

From the rolls 279 and 280, the composite web comprising the glassineweb 260 carrying the pieces 274a of conductive plastic coated onaluminum, with the conductive plastic side 276 up as seen in FIG. 25, ispassed through an end terminal lamination station 281 comprising aheated steel roll 282 operating against the patches 274a and the web 260against a compliant rubber backup roll 283 to fully laminate thealuminum side of the patches 274a to the adhesive side of the glassineweb 260.

From the lamination station 281, the composite web passes through anindex punch station 284 as shown in FIG. 21 in which a punch roll 285operating against a counter-rotating anvil roll 286 punches U-shaped tabportions 287 in the tab portions 5 of the blanks 274a as shown in FIG.25. These tabs 287 may be folded out of the way to allow access ofregistration pins in a later stage of manufacture to be described, andare utilized in essentially the same manner as the corresponding tabs210 punched out of the web 80 as described above. In the presentlypreferred practice of the invention, the index punching operation shownperformed in the station 284 is carried out by incorporation of thenecessary punch and die sets in the rolls 258 and 259 to obtain moreaccurate placement of the index apertures in the tabs 5.

Returning to FIG. 21, from the index punch station 284, the web 288 (inthe form shown in FIG. 25) is passed through a set of outfeed nip rolls290, 291, and 292. The roll 291 comprises a steel driven roll, rotatedclockwise as seen in FIG. 1 at a constant speed in synchronism with thespeed of the driven roll 264 in the infeed set of nip rolls, and actingagainst compliant rolls 290 and 292 counter-rotating with respect to theroll 291.

From the roll 292, the finished end terminal web 288 passes over a pairof tension control rolls 293 and 294, which may be adjusted in positionto control the tension of the web. Following the roll 294, the scrapmatrix 274b, comprising the conductive plastic coated sheet of aluminumfoil from which the pieces 274a were punched, is rolled up on a suitabletake-up roll 296 for recycling or other disposal. The web 288 is rolledup, with the terminal pieces 274a on the inside, onto a roll 295 thatwill serve as a supply roll in a later stage of manufacture next to bedescribed.

Referring to FIG. 3, the web 288, manufactured as just described anddisposed on a supply roll 295 in an unwind station of the kind describedabove in connection with FIG. 4, is brought into the machine and turnedinto the machine direction in the manner described above, and thereafterlaminated to the web 80 over the components carried thereon, in a mannerto be described below in connection with FIGS. 26-29. Thereafter, thelaminated webs are cut into strips in spaced locations between selectedrows of intermediate components at a cutoff station 340.

Comparing FIGS. 3 and 26, the web 288 is brought from the supply roll295 in FIG. 3 into a direction parallel but opposite to the machinedirection in FIG. 3 over a steering roll 300 (FIG. 26) arranged at 45°to the entering and leaving directions of the web 288 as describedabove. As shown in FIG. 26, from the roll 300, the web 288 passes over apair of edge guide rolls 301 and 302, associated with conventionalapparatus for maintaining the registration of the web in directionsnormal to the plane of FIG. 26, and thence around an idler 304 whichinsures an appropriate wrap around a pair of infeed nip rolls 305 and306. The rolls 305 and 306 are driven at a constant speed to carry theweb 288 into the process to be described.

From the rolls 305 and 306, the web 288 passes over a dancer roll 307,and thence over a guiding idler 308 to a creasing apparatus 309. Thecreaser 309 comprises a grooved platen 310 operating against creasingblades 311 and 312 mounted on an upper platen 313. The blades 311 and312 engage the glassine web between patches 274a to form creases 314 asindicated in FIG. 27. As indicated by comparison of FIGS. 26 and 27, thecentral crease 314 is formed by a leading creasing blade 311 in FIG. 26,and the outer creases 314 are formed by trailing blades 312 on eitherside of the central blade 311, so that the central crease is initiallyformed to allow creep of the material before beginning the creases oneither side of the blade 312. The purpose of the creases 314 is to allowfor dimensional changes in the web caused by a subsequent pocketingoperation on the blanks 274a without tearing of the web 314.

From the creaser 309, the web 288 passes to pocketing dies generallydesignated 315. The pocketing dies 315 comprise a lower reciprocatingcarriage 316, which moves to the right and left in an oscillatingfashion as suggested in FIG. 26, carrying female die cavities 317. Thecavities 317 cooperate with male die components 320 carried on an uppercarriage 318, reciprocable up and down in FIG. 26 on guide posts 319secured to the carriage 316, so that for each row of blanks 274a acrossthe web 288, the dies 320 are brought down into contact with theconductive plastic sides of the blanks 274a, forcing the blanks into thecavities 317 to form pockets 25, as shown for example in FIG. 28. Thedies 320 then rise and the dies 320 and 317 are then indexed back onepitch length to engage the next transverse row of blanks 274a. Duringthis process, the glassine web component acts as a lubricant for thedies and aids in providing smooth pockets 25 in the blanks 274a.

From the pocketing dies 315, the web 288 next moves over an eccentricroll 321 which can be adjusted from time to time to match the pathlength of the web 288 to the phase of the carrier web 80. The web 80carries the battery components to which the pocketed blanks 274a will bejoined in a manner next to be described.

From the eccentric roll 321, the web 288 passes onto a gripper roll 322.The roll 322 serves as the master drive for the pocketed components onthe web 288. Comparing FIGS. 26 and 28, the gripper roll 322 is formedas a many sided figure, and in practice, for example, as a 17 sidedfigure comprising 17 flats 323 formed about the periphery of the rolland provided at the trailing edge of each flat with index pins 324. Thepins 324 register in the apertures formed by bending aside the tabs 287(FIG. 25), and thence establish positive control over each pocketedcomponent 274a to ensure positive registration of the web 80 despitedimensional changes taking place during the pocketing operation.

From the gripper roll 322, referring again to FIG. 26, the web 288 isengaged by pins 326 carried by a timing belt 325 that is driven by apulley 327 and guided by an idler pulley 328. The sprocketing pins 326also engage the apertures formed by bending aside the tabs 287 of FIG.25 and thus ensure indexing and registry of the pockets on the web 288with cathodes 22 that are uppermost on the web 80 following the stripaddition and extrusion operations described above.

The web 80, carrying its several components including the various stripscut from the webs 82 and 130 and intermediate and superposed cathodedeposits 22, is brought into registry with the web 288 under the controlof a timing belt 329 carrying index pins 330. The pins 330 engage theapertures formed by bending aside the tabs 210 (FIG. 17) at the edges ofthe web 80. The timing belt 329 is driven by a pulley 332 and guided byan idler pulley 331 to move the web 80 and the components assembledthereon at constant speed through a laminating station.

As best shown in FIG. 29, as the webs 288 and 80 approach registry, eachof the pockets 25 is arranged to engage the uppermost cathode 22 of thestack of components on the web 80 in registry, and is brought down intoengagement therewith. The thickness of the components on the web 80 hasbeen greatly exaggerated in FIG. 29 to facilitate showing the typicalstructure involved. The actual thickness of the assembled components maybe in the neighborhood of 150-200 mils.

The glassine sheet 260 forming a part of the web 288 is next laminatedto portions of the carrier web 80 between battery components, and forexample, along lines such as indicated by the arrows 400 transversely ofthe web 260 in FIG. 25, and corresponding locations 400 across the web80 as shown in FIG. 18.

The result is a composite web 338 as indicated in FIG. 26 in which thetwo insulating carrier webs 80 and 260 are intermittently joined to forman endless chain of assembled battery components.

The web 338 is passed through a cutoff station 340, shown schematicallyin FIG. 26 as comprising a reciprocating and counter-clockwise rotatingknife roll 335 carrying a knife 336 which at times works against acounter rotating backup roll 337, of rubber or the like, to cut offstrips 339 of assembled battery components by severing the webs 260 and80 between assembled batteries to form a desired number ofinterconnected assembled batteries for subsequent conveyance to a sealeras a unit. The number of unsealed but assembled batteries on such astrip 339 will determine the available sealing time relative to the webspeed on the assembly line based on the frame 31 in FIG. 3.

Specifically, if the process of FIG. 3 is run at a web speed such that nbatteries per minute are being manufactured with rows of m batteriesbeing manufactured in parallel, and the strips 339 contain r rows of mbatteries, then the sealing time available will be mr/n minutes perbattery, less transit times and sealer startup and shutdown times. As aspecific example, the manufacture of four batteries in parallel at arate of n=400 batteries per minute with 18 rows of four batteries oneach strip 339 will give a sealing time of approximately 0.18 minutes,or 10.8 seconds, of sealing time available.

Comparing FIGS. 26 and 3, each strip 339 of assembled but unsealedbatteries emerging from the cutoff station 340 is advanced in thedirection of the vertical arrow in FIG. 3 onto a first indexing station345a, as by a conventional vacuum accelerator belt, where it willnormally be maintained for the residence time established as describedabove; for example, for 10.8 seconds less transit time. If desired, andpreferably, the indexing station 345a may be controlled to eject aparticular strip 339 following evaluation or testing, which may beconducted upstream during assembly or upon arrival at the station 345a,to cause ejection of a particular strip 339 into a disposal bin, notshown, provided adjacent the end of the station 345a.

Following its residence time at the index station 345a, vacuum at thatstation is interrupted and conventional transfer arms, not shown, conveythe strip 339 to a second indexing station 345b, where it is again heldfor a suitable residence time. The strip 339 is indexed again to a thirdindexing station 345c in a same manner and following appropriateresidence time is indexed again onto an index station 345d, not shown,within a sealer generally designated 346. During residence in thesealer, the battery components on the strip 339 are sealed under vacuumin an essentially conventional manner which will next be brieflydescribed.

The sealer 346 comprises an evacuable vacuum chamber which is opened toreceive each strip 339, and then closed and evacuated to a vacuum of forexample, preferably about 28 inches of mercury, corresponding to abattery pressure of about 1 inch of mercury. Following closure andevacuation of the chamber, an upper set of platens comes down on thebatteries and tamps them to aid in excluding air from between thecomponents. The tamping action, together with the applied vacuum, forcethe internal components into intimate contact in the form indicated inFIG. 2. The pressure exerted on the batteries at this time may be about1 pound per square inch.

A set of lower platens then raise, and both upper and lower platens areheated, with the lower platens being heated for example to 420° F., andthe upper platens being heated to 400° F., while the platens engage thebatteries under a pressure of, for example, 325 psi in the seal area.The peripheries of the batteries are thereby sealed to join theperipheries of the frames such as 12a, 12b, 12c, and 12d in FIG. 2, andadjacent adhesive surfaces, together to form a hermetically sealedbattery unit. Thereafter, the vacuum chamber is vented, after which thelower platens are dropped down, and the upper platens are raised.Finally, the chamber is opened to complete the operation, followingwhich the sealed strip of batteries 339 is indexed to a station 345ewhere it remains for the dwell time established as described above.

The sealed strip of batteries is subsequently indexed, as to stations345f and 345g, at each of which the sealed strip dwells while cooling ofthe sealed batteries continues with the internal components of thebatteries being held together under a pressure approximately equal toatmospheric pressure.

While any desired number of indexing stations 345 may be provided, inpractice nine such stations 345 have been provided, with four stations345 ahead of the sealer 346 and four stations 345 following the sealer346.

From the last index station, shown as 345g, the sealed batteries on thestrips 339 are deposited into a basket 347a, one at a time, until p suchstrips have been deposited in the basket 347a. The basket 347a is thatone of a group which has most recently been indexed into the positionshown by a movement to the left in the direction of the horizontal shownin FIG. 3, where the basket waits in an initial empty condition until pbattery strips have been transferred to it.

The filled basket 347a is then indexed downwardly as indicated in FIG. 3to a location 347b, where it waits for a residence time determined bythe number p and the rates described above. To continue the examplegiven above, if the batteries are being manufactured at a rate n perminute with m batteries in parallel and the strips 339 contain rbatteries, the capacity p of strips 339 in each of the baskets 347determines a residence time in each basket that is equal to mrp/n. Forexample, if 400 batteries per minute are being manufactured with 4batteries in parallel and 18 rows of batteries per strip 339, and thereare 100 strips 339 in each basket, the residence time in each basketsuch as 347a is 4×18×100/400=18 minutes per basket. In the illustratedexample, the accumulator 348 contains 11 baskets 347, of which there are7 baskets in locations 347a through 347g which are occupied by thebattery strips between loading and unloading of the accumulator. Thus,there are 7×18 or 126 minutes of storage time in the accumulator 348during which the batteries approach equilibrium by diffusion of theelectrolyte from the cathode slurries 22 in FIG. 2 through thecellophane separators 20 into permeation of the anodes 16. Thisresidence time may be adjusted readily by adjusting the contents andnumber of the baskets 347 to provide any desired equilibration timebefore advancing the completed batteries through subsequent stages to bedescribed.

Referring again to FIG. 3, when a basket load of battery strips 339 hasadvanced to the station 347g, its contents are unloaded one strip 339 ata time, and each such strip is advanced by an accelerating vacuum beltinto a final assembly line based on a bed generally designated 32 andbeginning with a crosscut station 349 in which, following bending overof the tabs 5 into the position shown in FIG. 2, as by cooperatingfingers, not shown, each strip 39 is cut across the machine directioninto strips 350 of, in the example shown for simplicity in FIG. 3, threebatteries across. These strips 350 are then advanced to a station 351 inwhich they are split in the machine direction into groups of threeindividual unpackaged batteries 352 in parallel. The individualbatteries 352 are aligned into spaced parallel rows by means indicatedat 353 of any conventional design such that they are appropriatelyranked for lamination, first to a card stock web 354 of the materialused to make the cards 2 on which the batteries are ultimately mountedas shown in FIG. 2. The card stock web 354 is brought from a supply roll355 by an unwind guiding and tensioning system such as that shown inFIG. 4, turned into the machine direction and laminated to the batteries352.

Immediately thereafter, a web 356 of the overwrap material forming theupper layer 6 in FIG. 2, such as polyethylene or the like, is broughtfrom a supply roll 357 in an unwind station of the kind described inFIG. 4 and laminated to the other side of the assembled batteries.Thereafter, as briefly described above, the batteries joined by the dualwebs 354 and 356 are passed through test and record stations, thence toa crosscut station 360 where they are split into parallel rows 361 ofcompleted batteries, and finally through a splitting station 362 where arotary knife separates them into individual batteries 1 of the kindshown in detail in FIGS. 1 and 2.

While the invention has been described with respect to the details ofspecific illustrative and preferred embodiments, many changes andvariation will occur to those skilled in the art upon reading thisdescription, and such can obviously be made without departing from thescope of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:
 1. In a laminarbattery, a conductive metal sheet forming an externally accessiblecollector terminal of the battery; a frame of thermoplastic liquidimpermeable electrical insulating material formed with a centralaperture, said frame being laminated around its periphery to said metalterminal sheet; an electrode assembly comprising a sheet of conductiveplastic uniformly coated on one side with active electrode particles ina binder, said conductive plastic sheet being laminated around itsperiphery to a region of a side of said frame opposite the sidelaminated to said metal terminal sheet, said conductive plastic sheethaving a central region extending through the aperture in said frame andbeing laminated to said metal terminal in the region within saidaperture; a sheet of separator material overlying said electrodeparticle coating on said conductive plastic sheet and having bordersextending beyond the borders of said conductive plastic sheet andterminating within the borders of said frame, and means adhering saidseparator sheet to said frame in discontinuous regions about theperiphery of said separator sheet to provide intermediate passages ofgas flow between the regions of adherences.
 2. The combination of claim1, further comprising at least one strip of gas pervious materiallaminated between said frame and said metal collector sheet.
 3. Alaminar electrical cell, comprising a first electrode formed as a porouslayer of electrochemically active particles on an electrochemicallyinactive substrate coextensive with the particle layer, a frame ofinsulating material formed with a central aperture, saidelectrochemically inactive substrate being adhered to said frame aroundits periphery to the borders of said aperture, a separator overlying theactive particle layer of said first electrode and having bordersextending beyond the borders of said first electrode and within theborders of said frame, discontinuous strips of adhesive between saidseparator and confronting portions of said frame, a second electrodecomprising a slurry of electrochemically active particles in contactwith said separator on the side of said separator opposite said firstelectrode; and a metal terminal collector sheet adhered to said frame onthe side of said frame opposite said first electrode and adhered to saidelectrochemically inactive substrate in regions within the boundaries ofsaid aperture.
 4. A laminar electrical battery each cell of whichcomprises a first electrode formed as a porous layer ofelectrochemically active particles on an electrochemically inactivesubstrate coextensive with the particle layer, a frame of insulatingmaterial formed with a central aperture, said electrochemically inactivesubstrate being adhered to said frame around its periphery to theborders of said aperture, a separator overlying the active particlelayer of said first electrode and having borders extending beyond theborders of said first electrode and within the borders of said frame,discontinuous strips of adhesive between said separator and confrontingportions of said frame, a second electrode comprising a slurry ofelectrochemically active particles in contact with said separator on theside of said separator opposite said first electrode, and a metalterminal collector sheet adhered to an external one of said frames onthe side of said frame opposite said first electrode and adhered to saidelectrochemically inactive substrate in regions within the boundaries ofsaid aperture.
 5. In a laminar battery, a conductive metal sheet formingan externally accessible collector terminal of the battery; a frame ofthermoplastic liquid impermeable electrical insulating material formedwith a central aperture, said frame being laminated around its peripheryto said metal terminal sheet; an electrode assembly comprising a sheetof condutive plastic completely covered on one side with a layer ofactive electrode particles in a binder, said conductive plastic sheetbeing laminated around its periphery to a region of a side of said frameopposite the side laminated to said metal terminal sheet, saidconductive plastic sheet having a central region extending through theaperture in said frame and being laminated to said metal terminal in theregion within said aperture; a sheet of regenerated cellulose overlyingsaid electrode particle layer on said conductive plastic sheet andhaving borders extending beyond the borders of said conductive plasticsheet and terminating within the borders of said frame; and meansadhering said regenerated cellulose sheet to said frame in discontinuousregions about the periphery of said regenerated cellulose sheet toprovide intermediate passages for gas flow between the regions ofadherence.
 6. The combination of claim 5, in which said electrodeparticles comprise zinc as the electrochemically active electrodematerial.
 7. A laminar electrical cell, comprising a first electrodeformed as an initially dry porous layer of electrochemically activeparticles on an electrochemically inactive substrate coextensive withthe particle layer, a frame of insulating material formed with a centralaperture, said electrochemically inactive substrate being adhered tosaid frame around its periphery to the borders of said aperture, acellophane separator overlying the active particle layer of said firstelectrode and having borders extending beyond the borders of said firstelectrode and within the borders of said frame, discontinuous strips ofadhesive between said separator and confronting portions of said frame,a second electrode comprising a slurry of electrochemically activeparticles in contact with said separator on the side of said separatoropposite said first electrode, and a metal terminal collector sheetadhered to said frame on the side of said frame opposite said firstelectrode and adhered to said electrochemically inactive substrate inregions within the boundaries of said aperture.
 8. A laminar electricalbattery each cell of which comprises a first electrode formed as anadherent porous layer of electrochemically active particles on anelectrochemically inactive substrate coextensive with the particlelayer, a frame of insulating material formed with a central aperture,said electrochemically inactive substrate being adhered around itsperiphery to the borders of said aperture in said frame, a cellophaneseparator overlying the active particle layer of said first electrodeand having borders extending beyond the borders of said first electrodeand within the borders of said frame, discontinuous strips of adhesivebetween said separator and confronting portions of said frame, a secondelectrode comprising a slurry of electrochemically active particles incontact with said separator on the side of said separator opposite saidfirst electrode, and a metal terminal collector sheet adhered to anexternal one of said frames on the side of said frame opposite saidfirst electrode and adhered to said electrochemically inactive substratein regions within the boundaries of said aperture.